Who doesn't love to feel appreciated - personally and professionally. I know you are looking for the "like" button but hold off on giving the thumbs up, there's more you can do to show people you care.

While CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility, its power is revealed in People, Planet and Philanthropy. Genuinely caring for your People is the cornerstone of any successful business. Hiring good people and keeping them is so valuable, losing them...costly. According to a recent Bloomberg study, a retailer will spend almost $3,400 to replace an employee.

While there are many variables that contribute to employee engagement, recognizing your employees may be one of the most cost effective. Having spent 13 years working for Taco Bell, I was fortunate to be a part of one of the greatest recognition cultures in business. Whether I was at the Restaurant Support Center or spending a day with a great franchisee, the culture of caring permeated from the top to the team member.

Remembering birthdays and anniversaries are a given, but here are three things you can do today that will cost you nothing:

Create a personal recognition award: I have a collection of meaningful, personal recognition awards that I earned for displaying a trait a leader in the company cared about. It's hard to have a bad day when you are looking at a big red pepper.

Share proud moments: When you are working toward big goals with extended timelines, small tasks feel, well...small. Take a moment to recognize the journey. I remember setting out to persuade 200 markets to participate in our first national fundraiser. Our Executive Director called us into his office to celebrate the first "yes" received even though there was still much more work to be done.

Write a handwritten thank you note: Relocating to the East Coast was one of the scariest but most exciting things I have done. I arrived the day after Thanksgiving to an apartment I rented but had never seen. When I checked the mail, I had a handwritten note from the CEO thanking me for my contributions and wishing me well in this next position.

In the spirit of recognition. I wanted to quote "O Great One" David Novak, cofounder and former CEO of Yum! Brands,

"No matter who you are or what you do, you have the power to use recognition to make a difference in people's lives each and every day."